Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-02
THE FIRE KINGS TRICKS.
A REPORTERS EXPLANATION OF
HOW THEY ARE PERFORMED.

"A NarVeIOuS 11eOley OF A1aSlc-WOuoeE.
full Performance of a Man in League
With the Powers of the Fire and
Brimston World.
The professor was little man, generous
and expansive in the matter of shirt front,
red as to hair and blessed with a surprising
amplitude Of coat sleeve and tail
ladies and gentlemen" he began, coming
to the front Of the stage and turning back
his cuffs with an innocent air and that gen.
orally clean fingered dexterity which char
acterizes the manual motions of sleight Of
hand men-"ladies and gentlemen, begging
your pardon in advance for the liberty l am
taking, I wish to state that in the hail of
this opera house, just outside the door, there
is a faucet connected with the pipes which
supply the city with water. It some young
gentleman in the audience will be so kind as
to fill this tin utensil in my hand"-he lifted
tin quart bucket from the table and tapped
it with his forefinger-"with water from
that faucet, shall proceed to burn it-not
boil it, understand me, but burn the water
with fame which you may all see."
After little natural persistence and some
urging from the professor couple Of young
gentlemen, aged about IL summers, conveyed
the tin bucket out into the hall, whence they
presently returned with a quart of water,
which the professor demonstrated to be pure
water by drinking few swallows of it. A
suggestion from the rear Of the hall that the
growler might contain beer was properly ig-
nored, and the remainder of the clear fluid
was poured from the bucket into glass fruit
dish.
"Salamandissimus, salamandosW remarked
the professor, solemnly, while he waved his
hands over the surface of the water. Il COM
mand thee, once; I command thee, twice;
command thee, three times. in the name of
birthstone, frel"
A rose colored flame appeared on the water,
and gradually spread until it embraced the
whole area of the surface and rose pyramid
wise to height of about twelve inches. Dur
ing the subsequent proceedings the water con-
tinued to burn.
SEVERAL FAMILIAR CHESTNUTS.
Then ensued the cracking of number of
familiar chestnuts, such as the cooking of an
omelet in borrowed silk hat. the mysterious
production from nowhere of an outfit of tin
ware and guinea pig, ct id omne genus
A bar Of lead was melted in crucible over
a small furnace, and according to the prom
Use on the bills the professor proceeded to
wash his hands in the molten metal. He did
the work thoroughly, plunging his hands to
the elbow into the crucible, now and then
scooping up the liquid lead in his palm and
dropping it upon the board floor of the stage,
where it instantly hardened in thin flakes
The blade of an ordinary steel table knife
melted like wax in the fame of a tallow
candle under the influence Of his touch, and
then, dipping pen into the dish of burning
water, the professor went through the mo-
tions Of writing upon a folded newspaper
handed to him by one of the audience. When
the hall was darkened the words, "Pherguson,
the Phire King. right hand of his Majesty
Diablos!" stood out in green flames from the
surface Of the paper.
So far, so good The tricks were per-
formed; but the city editors instructions to
find out how they were performed and to
write an expose of the Fire Kings secrets I'M
happily were not yet carried out While the
audience was conveying itself through the
doorway into the street elbowed my way
behind the scenes and corralled the professor,
who was engaged in packing his parapher-
MALTA When you want man to do you q
favor, it is by no means best to approach him
with an obsequious air; if you do, he will
probably tumble to your racket, SO to speak,
and give yon the cold shake. kept my hat
on and paralyzed the professor with steely
glare and just shade Of hauteur.
Representing the press" l said brusquely,
producing pasteboard. "Are not the
chemicals used in -ah-trlcks, are
they not dangerous-ofa an inflammable nat
ure-apt to explode; and all that!"
SCARED PROFESSOR.
While was talking, made some notes in
a manuscript book, giving the professor the
idea that the jottings were to the effect that
his entertainments were Of a character
hazardous to the audience.
Good gracious, sir! no!' he gasped; "by
all means do not publish such an insinuation
it would ruin me. All my agents are innocent
when rightly used"
/ smiled cynically-"Yes, of course you say
So"
But I can prove it. Potassium, phos-
phorus, birthstone quicksilver Are they ex-
plosive.'
The trail was getting warm.
swell, of course, that depends. The potas-
sum- for instance, how do you use it!"
Il drop q small quantity of it upon the sur
lace OF the wafer III Tue glass ulSn. Y pom
contact with the water it Immediately flares
up and burns with a rose colored flame.
Simplest thing in the world. With the brim-
stone l merely touch piece Of steel made
red hot in the flame of candle, and the steel
melts like tallow. No danger there. A stick
of phosphorus is affixed to my pen when
write upon the newspaper, and OF course in
the darkness the writin. stands out. To wash
my hands in molten lead it is only necessary
to battle them previously in an ointment made
of one ounce Of quicksilver, two ounces of
bole ammonaco, half an ounce Of camphor
and two ounces of aqua vita. beaten together
with pestle in q brass mortar. l keep this
mixture by me constantly, and have never
yet had the slightest accident"
The still, small voice Of the call boys clock
said al" just as the professor was finish
ing his meaty sentence, and l rushed around
to the Office with scant time to write up and
hand in my copy by 12 o'clock. l had not
exposed the professors whole business, but l
had got at the marrow of four Of his best
tricks.-Detroit Free Press.